Birch Ranks in Top 75 Companies for Corporate Giving

Community

Birch Equipment is one of 75 Washington State businesses being recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal for community philanthropy along with real estate, banking and tech firms and other list makers including Microsoft, Paccar, Inc. Alaska Air, Costco, F5 Networks, Kaiser Permanente, KeyBank and SpaceNeedle LLC.
 
Puget Sound Business Journal celebrated businesses for collectively giving over $200 million to drive real change in ther egion in 2020 in spite of the huge challenges from the pandemic.
 
Headquartered in Bellingham, Washington with locations also in Anacortes, Everett, Industrial Facilities, Mount Vernon and Sitka, Alaska Birch has a steady history of giving back to community since 2001 Today, Birch has given well over $4 million in donations serving socio-economically challenged communities and organizations, health care research, hospice care, education, athletics & the arts. Birch supports hundreds of organizations & individuals annually. READ MORE about Birch’s programs…

The Birch Golf Classic

Each September, Birch runs the Birch Golf Classic, a 1-day, Bellingham-based, fast-paced tournament that raises over $300k. The event culminates with a 19th Hole Celebration and celebrity-style Longest Drive Competition. The Golf Classic brings together business, academia, social services, green industry, construction, government, heavy industry and more to raise money and awareness for Hospice (3 years) and Engedi Refuge and Northwest Youth Services (4 years). All are dedicated to helping victims of human trafficking and homeless transition to better pathways in life. Birch has just announced that it will partner with three new organizations for the next three years: The Whatcom Dream, REST (Real Escape from the Sex Trade) and BEST (Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking) with a goal of raising $100k annually for each organization.

Arthritis Walk/Run

Since 2007, Birch has created a Birch Arthritis Walk Team and Pre/Post walk events rallying and sponsoring employees, families, and friends in their fundraising for the Arthritis Foundation. Birch originally got involved to support and highlight Birch employee Jim Raymond of 20+ years who graciously and bravely has lived with Arthritis his entire life and undergone full hip, knee and shoulder replacements. In more recent years, the team has honored the awesome Kai Mitchell. Kai, the son of Stephen Mitchell — a Birch employee of 18 years — has battled JIA (now in remission) and has led the Birch team, been a top Whatcom Arthritis Foundation fundraiser and was Whatcom Arthritis’ Honoree two times over.

Scholarships, Internships & Apprenticeships

Birch provides college scholarships, interns and apprenticeships and works with Junior Achievement of WA. Since 2001, Birch has worked hard to connect with K-12 students and educators, technical students and college students for walk throughs, lunches and Business Shadows at all Birch Equipment locations. Students tour Birch facilities, learn about the variety of Birch careers available and the high level of careers and work offered in Washington’s locally-based businesses. Birch has a 13+ year employee retention average, strong training programs, apprenticeships and internships that give students and employees continuous growth opportunities, whether planning on a long-term career with Birch or gaining work experience while pursuing another trade or secondary education.

Birch supports hundreds of organizations annually. View the complete list below.

Birch Community Gives Recipients